Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is among top Israeli officials said to have arrest warrants issued over the country's actions in Gaza.
April 29, 2024, published at 3:30 PM ET
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is among the highest-ranking Israeli officials said to have arrest warrants issued over the country's actions in Gaza, RadarOnline.com has learned.
A flurry of media reports have emerged suggesting that the International Criminal Court is considering the citations against a handful of Israel and Hamas leaders.
The New York Times spoke to two unnamed Israeli leaders who said they believed they could be named in the arrest warrants along with Netanyahu and two other senior officials from the country.
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Several media reports have surfaced suggesting that Netanyahu could be cited for alleged violations of international law in Gaza.
The newspaper reported Sunday that the court could charge the individuals with “preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and pursuing an excessively harsh response to the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel.”
The nature of the possible charges against Hamas was not clear.
The Israeli sources expressed concern about the political implications of the quotes, which they said already informed the decisions being made in Gaza.
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Israel has faced increasing criticism over recent attacks in Gaza against Hamas.
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However, Netanyahu said in a X message On Friday, he said the ICC “will not influence Israel's actions” and that “Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right to self-defense.”
“The threat to seize the soldiers and officials of the Middle East's only democracy and the world's only Jewish state is outrageous. We will not bow down to it,” the Prime Minister continued.
“Israel will continue to wage the victory of our just war against genocidal terrorists and we will never stop defending ourselves.”
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The timing of the unconfirmed arrest warrants also remains unknown, but they would have to be approved by a panel of judges and should not result in trials or immediate arrests.
The ICC Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khanhas previously said the court was looking into the conflict, but declined to comment on the conflict Time article because he said his office does not “respond to speculation in media reports.”
The Washington Post And Times of Israel have also reported in recent days that the court was considering charges against Israel's political and military leaders.
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A local TV news report in Israel said the country's officials were holding an “emergency discussion” as they grew increasingly concerned about the possibility of arrest warrants against Netanyahu and others for alleged violations of international law.
The ICC is based in The Hague and is the only international court with the power to prosecute people for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. The country's 124 members include most European countries, but not Israel or the United States.
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President Joe Biden has been steadfast in his support for Israel, but called the country's operations in Gaza “overblown.”
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Israeli actions in Gaza have attracted international attention Protests break out on college campuses through the land.
President Joe Biden is steadfast in its support of Israel, but called The country's operations in Gaza, targeting Hamas, are 'over the top'.
During a call with Netanyahu earlier this month, Biden said demanded a ceasefire in Gaza after seven food workers were killed in Israeli airstrikes.
Although the country has been criticized for its efforts to free its hostages, the… Washingtonpost noted that the ratio of civilians to combatants in Israel “compares favorably with other urban conflicts.”
Israel has gone to great lengths to spare civilians, despite attempts by Hamas to thwart the country's humanitarian aid efforts.
